Conscience
by gardeniia
Summary: She acted as his conscience, but maybe he had one all along. Lloyd/Cecile.


**A/N: **Hello there, this is my first Code Geass fanfiction, and it's in Cecile Croomy's POV, the lovely assistant of Lloyd Asplund. This fanfic was inspired by my love for this pairing, and this just came in as a random burst of inspiration. **xoAerith**, I blame this on you.

* * *

**Conscience  
by Rose of Wind**

Cecile Croomy couldn't think of anyone freer than Earl Lloyd Asplund.

On a whim, he'd say what he wanted, without any concern for the consequences of his actions. What came to his head was what came out of his mouth, and he didn't understand why it should be any different.

She tried explaining the reason, once. Though her speech seemed to have peaked his interest, in the end, when his brows came together and his mouth pulled down in his childish frown, she knew he hadn't understood a word she had said.

Lloyd's eccentricity and lack of conscience made him who he was, but it also proved to get him into trouble.

That's where she came in.

Being sensitive to the feelings of those around her -- quite the opposite of Lloyd -- Cecile could usually calm any situation he was in with a hurried, 'I'm so sorry, please, no, he didn't mean it...' Usually, the offended would often stomp off in a hush, but not before sending him a dirty look, to which he would reply with a cheery 'Bye!'

However, there were moments when she agreed with the victims of Lloyd's lack of tact, when she agreed that a simple whack on the shoulder and a fiercely whispered 'Lloyd!' would not do the job.

She had to hold her tongue when dealing with the outraged officials/nobles/scientists/devicers, because Cecile Croomy found that, when dealing with these people, she couldn't help the urge to defend him. To justify his actions. To make them understand.

Scoldings and chidings slid off Lloyd Asplund like butter off a hot knife. Cecile did so more out of habit than trying to change who he was as a person. She stopped trying _that _a long time ago.

'Can't you control that man, Cecile?! 'and 'Can't get you get it through his head that his behaviour is unacceptable?!' were particularly popular.

And she tried, she did, many, many times to explain that no, even if she had any, her influence over him was only a fraction larger than everyone else.

But one frustrated question in particular made her ponder. 'Aren't you close to him?!'

She was hired as his assistant, by his previous one, probably not for her skill as a scientist but for her patience.

Upon seeing Cecile's unfailingly polite manner, the frazzled woman had probably thought she was perfect for the job.

--

In the beginning, there were times when she hated him.

When she hated his 'I don't care about anything' attitude, his carefree shrugs and smirks, his off-handed insults and the way he could shred her patience without even trying.

She hated how he didn't seem like a human being.

Sometimes, it was partly her fault. She made the mistake of going to him for reassurance. "I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, not inventive enough..."

What he said in response was the reason for her grand revelation.

A shrug, with an indifference that almost made her furious, then: "Is that so?"

All thoughts of _he's an Earl, it's impolite, the consequences _were shattered as she whacked him on the back of his head. Immediately following was the wonderful feeling of _satisfaction_.

"Lloyd!" She snapped, glaring her fiercest. "That was rude!"

Rubbing his head with one hand, the scientist replied with a genuinely intrigued voice,

"Is that so?"

--

"Lloyd, we have that meeting with those devicers that would like us to make new Knightmare Frames for them."

A scoff. "Those idiots don't deserve our Knightmares."

"Lloyd! That wasn't-"

Interruption. "Yes, yes..."

"We should get going."

A drawn-out syllable. "Why?"

"If we arrived late, it would be-"

"Impolite, yes?"

Astonishment on her part. "...Yes, that's right."

A dramatic sigh. "Then let's go." He started to walk.

Cecile Croomy couldn't help the smile that edged its way into her face. Perhaps she had been wrong about the fact that Lloyd's personality was as unchangeable as the weather, or that he viewed human beings only as pawns and parts. She acted as his conscience, but maybe he had one all along.

As he frowned childishly at her and told her to hurry up, that smile turned into a laugh as she cheerfully assured him she would be there in a moment.

_Perhaps, _thought Cecile as she hurried to catch up to him.

_I contributed to making him a human being after all._

* * *

**Reviews would be very much appreciated!**


End file.
